Systematic measurements of glacier termini in Iceland started around the year 1930, led by Jón Eyþórsson, with annual observations carried out by interested local people. They measured the distance to the glacier from a fixed point with a measuring tape and later on with GPS instruments. Volunteers of the Iceland Glaciological Society (JÖRFÍ) have carried out the measurements since the establishment of the society in 1950. This data is available on the glacier web portal.

In 2023, JÖRFÍ began a collaboration with photographer James Balog, founder of the Extreme Ice Survey (EIS) project. EIS operated time-lapse cameras at Sólheimajökull and Svínafellsjökull and has conducted repeat photography of glaciers in Iceland since 2007.

The photographic evidence created here will continue this long-standing legacy of glacier monitoring and contribute to the visual record of Extreme Ice Survey Iceland (EISI). Some of our repeat photography sites are the same locations previously used for recording by JÖRFÍ and EIS. Citizens and scientists now team up to continue this visual legacy for centuries to come. Please join us.